Fighter and Leader
by Ralf Jones
Summary: AU from RE6 "It is in that moment that she understands why Claire was so good at taking care of herself, with a brother like him she was guaranteed to pick up some of his strength" Chrerry (or Redkin is you like) COMPLETE
1. Fighter and Leader

**Fighter…Leader**

She meets him in Edonia for the first time...

A heavily muscled imposing man clad in standard BSAA gear, she knows that he is Claire's older brother, but never had she meet him in person. It is in that moment that she understands why Claire was so good at taking care of herself, with a brother like him she was guaranteed to pick up some of his strength.

However she could tell he was not a brawny brute, not when his eyes were alight with the will to fight, to protect…

She knows about his past of course, working for the government had benefits…

He was there, in that accursed mansion where everything started…

The place where he lost a great number of dear friends and comrades…

The place where he was betrayed by a trusted friend…

That was the day that he discovered the horrors that bioterrorism could create…

Sherry knows that…

She understands him…

Being the daughter of one of the men responsible for creating the virus that destroyed Raccoon City, she is more than aware of how terrible bioterrorism is.

She knows that because of that terrible incident he now dedicates his life to prevent further tragedies.

He used to be a fighter…

And now he leads, always in the frontline, fighting side by side with his subordinates, it is in his blood, he will always be a fighter.

They don't stay together for long…she has a mission to fulfill and so does he…

He smiles and they part ways…

And she wonders only for just a moment if she will ever see him again…

* * *

It is only after all is over that she hears news about him…

Sad news…

And when she finally meets him in person she is surprised to see him all gear up and ready to depart for a new mission.

She can see it…

There's sadness in his eyes, but there is also fire, his will to fight has been restored to its former glory.

Sherry smiles, she's glad to see that he is doing fine, that he is not broken…

She understands…

There's no wife waiting for him back home…

No children…

The man standing in front of her is the result of a life fully dedicated to protect the world, to protect the peace…

And the future…

And every man and woman under the banner of the BSAA fights for that same purpose...

And he leads them…

No one is expendable…

No one…

"Came to see if I was really going to retire?" he asks, a small smile on his lips...

She smiles back "Just checking on you"

He has to go…

And once again they part ways, but this time she smiles as she watches him go…

It is only after he is gone that she realizes just how much she yearns to have such purpose…

She was to fight for the same goals he does…

A peaceful world…

A peaceful future…

Those were the only things she had always wanted…

* * *

They meet again a couple of months later as he prepares to leave for a new assignment, but this time he is really surprised to see her…

She stands proudly in front of him, dressed in standard issue BSAA uniform, it looks big on her small frame, but she looks like a soldier none the lest.

"I heard that a new recruit was strongly requesting to be put under my command" he said after a moment, an amused smile on his lips "I suppose they were talking about you".

She smiles and gives him a military salute "Private Birkin reporting for duty sir!"

He nods and returns the salute "Welcome onboard private"

This is what she wants…

To protect the world,

The peace and the future…

To be able to see the world the same way he does…

What better way to accomplish that than fighting by his side…

"Glad to be here captain…"

And the smile still lingers on her lips…


	2. Not so Bad

**Not so bad…**

It is certainly surprising how much easier it is to run without rest for extended periods of time when someone is actually chasing after you, in Sherry's case, during the global outbreak her pursuers were usually murderous monsters that wanted nothing more than to tear her to pieces.

Now however…

Not even halfway through their weekly five kilometer run in full gear, Sherry can barely keep going…

Is not that she was out of shape, but the weight of her uniform, backpack and rifle made it hard for her to keep up the pace. However she was not the only one struggling to continue, the other members of her team were also having a hard time, the blazing sun sitting high in the sky did nothing more than punish their tired bodies.

From the very beginning Sherry knew that getting into the BSAA would not be all sugar and rainbows, they were elite soldiers trained to combat bioterrorism in all shapes and forms, so it was natural for those soldiers to receive an intense training regimen.

Firearms…

Explosives…

CQC…

And of course…physical training

The former agent let out a deep breath quickly pushing away the blonde hair sticking to her face, her whole body felt sticky her uniform was almost glued to her skin because of the sweat.

All she wanted was to be done with the training and take a good hot shower…

And then her blue eyes landed on her captain…

Running a couple of feet ahead of the group, and like her, clad in full gear and showing no signs of getting tired, of course Sherry was impressed, the physical might of the captain was almost legendary in the BSAA.

The memory is still fresh in her mind, the first time she saw him lift a J'avo high above his head just to throw it at another one…

She was nothing short of shocked after witnessing that display of pure raw strength…

It was in that moment the she understood how he had managed to survive so many battles…

"Damn, just look at the captain…" the voice of a fellow teammate pulls her out her thoughts, she turns her head slightly to her right to see the soldier that had spoken "All of us are on the verge of passing out, but he looks like he could keep going all day"

Another soldier nods slowly "I know right? It's hard to believe that he is forty, but I guess that's why he is a legend on the BSAA"

In that moment Sherry takes notice of something…

All the soldiers, despite their exhaustion were looking at him…

They wanted to keep following their captain, no matter what it took…

They would fight for and with him in any battle and they knew he would do his best to keep them safe, to keep them alive…

Sherry understands them…

She joined the BSAA for the same reason, to fight besides him…

She wanted to fight to protect the world…

She wanted to see the world the same way he did…

"But…how can I see the world the way he does, if when I turn my eyes forward all I see is him standing in front of me" there was sadness in her quiet words…

She was always being protected…

Despite being a fully trained agent, Jake had saved her countless times…

And that was reality for her…

There was always someone there to protect her…

Standing in front of her, shielding her from harm…

But she was lucky, for that issue could be easily solved…

With a burst of renewed energy she quickened her pace, easily running past her tired and surprised teammates…

Her steps slowed as she neared Chris, running besides him just fast enough to keep up…

The captain turns just enough to look at her, a smirk on his lips "Look who decided to join me…"

Sherry nods firmly towards him, her eyes focused on the road ahead…

This was much better…

She would never be able to see what he sees standing in the back, always following…

But now, standing by his side, she will always be able to see what lies in front of her…

"How are doing?" he asks after a moment of silence…

And maybe...

Just maybe…

One day she will be able to see the world like he does…

She turns and their eyes meet "Not so bad" she answers, and a beautiful shy smile makes its way into her lips.


	3. Captain

**Captain…**

Once again he finds himself in a very familiar position…

Standing in front of a group of soldiers…

His team…

"Everybody ready?" he asks, his eyes moving to each one of the soldiers, making sure none of them are missing.

After a moment they all nod in affirmative, weapons ready…

"Okay, listen up!" he says "This is the usual clean up job, go in and take out all hostiles, but we are fighting B. , so be ready for the unexpected".

The soldiers nod quietly…

It was no secret that many BSAA operatives lost their lives during the C-virus outbreak; Chris was more than aware that many of the soldiers were nervous about facing those deadly creatures.

After all, they knew about the fate of his previous team, those horrible deaths…and only he, the legendary Chris Redfield came out alive.

"I know some of you are nervous, but this time is different, now we know what we face and the weakness of each C-virus B.O.W, also, each of you carry a vaccine for the virus" he stops speaking for a moment "Stay alert and watch each others back and you'll be fine".

He takes a glance to his left only to find the baby blue eyes of one Sherry Birkin looking right back at him, as if waking out from a trance she quickly turns her gaze to the floor…

Chris stares at her for a moment a little confused by her reaction, before turning his attention back to the rest of the team.

"All right, it's almost time, remember, no one gets left behind!"

And before the group leaves the room another voice breaks the silence…

"No one is expendable!" the voice of Sherry Birkin attracts the attention of the team…

They smile, confident smiles, they are ready, no time for fear; they have a mission to complete…

They break formation and quickly leave the room…

A feeling of déjà vu comes over him...

He turns to Sherry only to find her gone…

In her place stands a young man with a determined look on his face, the same young man who had pulled him from his depressed life of smoking and drinking, the young man who had wanted to protect the world, the future, more than anything else…

He turns then, and speaks a single word "Captain…"

…

…..

"Captain?"

Chris blinks and the illusion breaks…

Sherry is staring at him with a concerned look "Captain?" she repeats in whisper.

"I'm all right" he says, a faraway look on his eyes "I was just…remembering something".

He turns, casting a glance over his shoulder "C'mon, its time to move out".

Sherry nods slowly, watching him walk out of the room…

She had seen it, only for a second, hidden deep in those eyes...

Sorrow…

"No…" she whispers to the empty room "You're not all right captain…"

She walks out a moment later…

There was a mission to complete…

So Sherry Birkin does her best in ignoring the painful feeling in her chest…

And the tears threatening to fall…

So much sorrow…


	4. Four Years of Freedom

**I want to take a second to thank all you wonderful people for the reviews and favs, seriously, you guys are awesome!**

**Please enjoy this chapter...**

* * *

**Four Years of Freedom**

"I propose a toast for us, and for the BSAA!" the sound of clicking glass and cheerful laughter fills the otherwise quiet bar.

It was almost midnight and they would probably regret the heavy drinking in the morning, but at that moment none of the members of the alpha team cared about that.

Their last mission had been a great success, the hostiles were quickly and efficiently eliminated, no wounded and no causalities…

A perfect mission…

So, as the captain of the team, Chris saw fit to reward them with a little down time in a local bar…

It was great to see his team together, having a good time, talking amongst themselves and laughing heartily…

The young Sherry Birkin was having a good time as well from what he could tell, talking cheerfully with her teammates while taking small sips of her beer.

In a short amount of time she had become very popular in the team, not only for her skills in the field, but also by her beauty, Chris was sure that a few members of the team had their eyes on her…

And they did have a good reason to like her…

Sherry was quite the beauty, even now, dressed in simple white t-shirt, jeans and knee-high brown boots, she was sure turning a few heads her way.

It was nice to see her smile, for such a caring kid she rarely smiled…

With a contented smile the captain took sip of his drink, enjoying the brief moment of peace…

xxxxxx

"Excuse sir…" the quiet voice of the bartender brings the captain out of his thoughts "I'm sorry to bother you, but I will be closing in a few minutes".

Chris nods firmly, a polite smile on his lips…

It was almost three in the morning; most of the team had already left…

That left him and just one other...

Sherry sat quietly across him, holding her empty glass in both her hands, a faint smile grazing her full pink lips…

"Are you all right Sherry?" the question takes her by surprise, her blue eyes turn to look at him…

"Y-Yeah…" she answers, her eyes turning once again to gaze at her empty glass "It's just…this if the first time I attend to this kind of celebration".

A small laugh escapes her lips "Now that I think about it, it is kind of sad" she pauses for a moment, Chris notes how the hold on her glass strengthens "I'm twenty-seven years old…but only In four of those years I had been free…" she laughs again, but the captain can almost feel the sadness in her voice.

Of course he knows what she's talking about…

After Raccoon City she was taken under the "protection" of the government, and while they did keep her safe, they also subjected her to countless experiments. Only Claire had been there for her, caring for her, holding her close, telling her that everything was going to be all right.

The thought of that little girl enduring that kind of life made him angry, no child deserved that kind of treatment…

Still, Chris could only bring himself to sit quietly, letting her know that he was there he she wanted to keep talking.

"Four years ago they offered me a deal, I was to become an agent and in return I would be allowed to go free" she says, her eyes finally turning towards him "I accepted without a second thought, I was so desperate to see the outside world…and yet I'm still so inexperienced and naïve" and once again her eyes turn to her glass

Suddenly a soft smile spreads across her lips "I just realized…four years ago you were busy saving the world, right captain?"

But there's no answer…

A pair of strong hands take hold of her shoulders turning her around and pulling her to her feet…

She looks up in surprise only to find her captain looking down at her, the intense look in his eyes made it almost impossible to hold his gaze…

And yet, she could not look away, not when she could lose herself in those dark orbs…

She's suddenly too aware of how close he is standing, only one other man had held her so close before and that was Jake, but this was different, there were no bullets raining over them.

She tries to speak but her mouth fails her, what could she say when the warmth of his body washes over her? So close…

So very close…

"I will protect you…" he speaks "Nothing will happen to you again…I promise"

And then he turns, his right arm going across her shoulders, hugging her to the side of his body and moving her along towards the exit…

The chain reaction arrives seconds after that…

A pretty blush spreads across her pale cheeks, and then, a single tear escapes her eyes only to be followed by many more…

Her arms come up to hold his middle, burying her face to his side, trying to hide her tears…

She can no longer contain herself, all that pain and sadness that she had buried deep within her soul was now resurfacing.

All the pain…

The sorrow…

All because of his words…

His promise…

She wants to speak, to say something, to try and explain her tears, and how much those words affected her…

But in the end she's only able to whisper one simple word…

"Captain…"

And like before there's no answer, but his arm tightens around her shoulders, holding her even closer than before…

And she can only be grateful for that quiet, yet meaningful support…


	5. Super Hero

**Pink and Black Cherry Blossom: I apologize for taking a completely different road with this chapter, but I decided to expand the universe of this fic a little more, sorry if this disappoints you.**

* * *

**Super Hero**

"Claire!"

With an excited yell, sixteen year old Sherry Birkin launches herself into the awaiting arms of her dear friend…

A feeling of safety overcomes her as Claire wraps her arms around her, holding her close, planting a small kiss on her forehead.

"I'm glad to see you too dear" Claire smiles, that quiet, warm smile that Sherry loves so much "So…how are you doing?".

"I'm fine, Mr. Simmons said I was done with the tests for the day" she answers, taking Claire's hand, guiding her to the bed so they can sit.

Her _room_ was nothing more than a bed surrounded by four white walls, rather than a room, it was a cell, Sherry was a prisoner and Claire could not bring herself to say anything.

It was only because of Simmons that she, a civilian, was allowed to see Sherry, who was a _protected _secret of the government, it would only take one word from Simmons and she would never be allowed to see young Sherry again.

As usual they would spend the duration of the visit talking…

Claire would tell her about her work, in TerraSave, how she was doing her part in helping those who suffered at the hands of bioterrorism. Sherry loved those tales, taking in every word; it was her most cherished dream to become like Claire, to be a strong and caring woman helping to make the world a better place.

"Claire…" Sherry's soft voice echoes in the empty room "You told me that you have a brother, please tell me about him".

Surprised by her sudden request, Claire nods as a cheerful smile spreads across her lips "Sure…"

"Well, his name is Chris, he's the one who trained me in the use of firearms and hand-to-hand combat" Sherry nods silently, her big blue eyes staring at her, listening intently to her story "He's a good guy, always looking after his friends and comrades, fighting to protect the world".

A cute giggle escapes from the blonde's lips "Claire, you talk about him like he's some kind of super hero!"

Claire lets out a laugh "Well, I suppose in some ways he is like a super hero…" she pauses for a second "He is just…so strong, some times I think that he would be able to carry the weight of the whole world on his shoulders".

"The whole world?" the surprised tone in Sherry's voice is quite evident…

Claire nods happily "Yep, I'm sure you would like him…"

Sherry nods excitedly "When I'm released from this place you can introduce me to him Claire!" and then, a shy blush spread across young Sherry's pale cheeks "But…do you think he will like me?"

Claire stares at her for a moment, before bursting out laughing "Oh Sherry dear, you are so sweet!" she says between laughs "Of course he will like you, you are the cutest girl in the world!"

And Sherry can only bring herself to smile shyly "Well…" she says playfully "I don't know about the world, but I'm certainly the cutest girl in this room!"

As those words sink in, Claire's laughter stops abruptly…

"Oh…I see…" the evil glare in Claire's eyes was something to be feared, so Sherry slowly moved backwards in the bed "So you are saying that old Claire is not cute anymore…" and then a cruel smirk found its way into her lips "RIGHT?!".

In less than a second Sherry jumped to her feet with Claire running behind her…

"Come back here, there's nowhere to run!"

"No!"

And a moment later the empty room was filled with hearty laughter…

"P-Please Claire *laughs* I give up…stop tickling me!"

"Not going to happen!"

And for a moment, everything was alright with the world…

And one day she would meet the big brother of her best friend…

But for now Sherry was happy…


	6. Thank you, Goodbye and I Promise

**IMPORTANT NOTE: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE ENDING OF CHRIS CAMPAIGN!**

* * *

**Thank you, Goodbye and I Promise**

It's a cold December morning…

The sun is not shining; instead, colorless clouds fill the morning sky…

Sherry Birkin stands alone in front of one of the most honored monuments of the BSAA…

The wall of heroes…

Each branch of the BSAA has a wall just like the one before her, the names of the fallen operatives forever engraved on their surface.

However, the names of those heroes were not only engraved upon the walls belonging to the branches the used to work in…

No…

The BSAA is a family…

Every wall in every BSAA branch around the world honors all of those brave soldiers, all of them…

Sherry takes a moment, her eyes going over the names on the wall; it does not take her long to find a familiar name…

The name she was looking for…

Piers Nivans…

Slowly her hand reaches into the wall, carefully running her fingers over the engraved name…

She remembers him…

The brave young man who fought alongside her captain until the end…

After all their others comrades where killed, he was the only one still fighting, watching her captain's back…

"I know it's strange for me to be here…" she says "We never got time to meet properly and understand one another".

"The captain told that you were an expert sniper and the self-proclaimed best driver in the whole BSAA" she smiles slightly at that.

"I…" she lowers her gaze to the ground "I want to thank you, because of you the captain is still alive…" silence, a small sigh escapes her lips "Thanks to you I have the chance to follow him, so thank you…thank you very much Piers".

She lowers her hand, blue eyes turning to the grey sky, enjoying, if only for a moment the feeling of the cool wind on her face…

"I will take care of him in your stead…" and once again her gaze settles on the engraved name "You can count on me, I will never leave him alone or allow him to lose sight of his mission and goals".

A beautiful bright smile spreads across her lips "I have to go now...he and Claire are waiting for me".

She turns ready to leave, but not before casting a final glance over her shoulder "Goodbye and I promise".

A moment later she's gone…

Her captain was waiting for her…


	7. Coward

**Coward…**

A quiet sigh escapes her…

Blue eyes silently follow the form of her captain as he makes his way to the exit of the small café…

"Something happened…" a voice from behind calls to her "Otherwise, they would not have bothered Chris after sending him away to take a vacation"

Sitting across the small table was the woman who, throughout years, became a mother to her, a woman of kindness…

At the age of 33, Claire Redfield was nothing short of a beauty…

Gorgeous blue eyes, long auburn hair falling down her shoulders and a killer body dressed in a pair of tight jeans, red jacket and white undershirt, she was surely attracting more than a few glances her way.

"Still…" she said as a warm smile spreads on her lips "I feel better now that you work under him".

Sherry nods quietly, eyes dropping to the table and her cup of coffee…

It was no secret that Claire was horrified when she found out that not only she had been involved in the C-virus outbreak, but was also captured two times by their pursuers, and during the six months of her first imprisonment, she was, once again, subjected to horrible experiments…

It was like those days when she was under the _**protection **_of the government…

"So tell me Sherry…" the soft voice of the younger Redfield snaps Sherry out of her thoughts "Are you…seeing anyone?"

The question takes her by surprise, her cheeks blush almost immediately, this is obviously the reaction Claire was looking for, the sly smile on her lips is more than enough proof of that…

"W-What do you mean?"

"Oh…don't try to play dumb" by then, Claire is looking at her like a predator about to attack "Leon told me about that Jake kid that was with you…" a pause, and the smile on Claire's lips grows a little bigger "Apparently he was very protective of you…"

Sherry remains silent, poor girl was looking more and more like a tomato by the second…

"Jake and I…is not like that between us!"

Claire looks at her with a suspiciously "You're not lying to me…are you?"

"O-Of course not!" she answers, trying her best to sound offended "Why would I lie to you?"

"Ok, ok, sorry" says the Redfield, waving her in dismissal, and then, only a second later the predatory stare is back in busyness "But you do like someone!"

"That's not true!"

She was in trouble now, of that, Sherry was sure…

"Why are you blushing then?"

What was she supposed to do?, tell Claire that she was slowly but surely falling in love with her big brother?...

No…

That was not an option…at lest for now.

Still, she would never lie to Claire, not after all the kindness and support that she had given her…

"You are right…" she says finally "There is someone I really like…"

Now is Claire's turn to look surprised, she was not expecting the young woman to actually give in into her questions…

"However…he doesn't know yet and I…well, I just don't know how to tell him…" and once again Sherry turns her eyes to the now half-empty cup of coffee…and, a pair of hands take hold of hers, looking up she finds Claire looking at her with a kind smile, that wonderful smile that she loved so much…

"You should tell him…" she says quietly "I know it's confusing, but, you will never know if he feels the same until you tell him" it is only after those words that Sherry catches a brief flash of pain in the blue eyes of Claire Redfield…

She knows, of course, the reason for that pain…

Leon…

But…

Life is not a movie, and the hero does not always love the girl back…

However Claire was not weak; she focused on her work on Terrasave to distract herself instead of crying herself to sleep…

Still, there was sadness and pain in her heart; she was human after all…

"You should tell him…" she says again, the comforting smile still on her lips "And when I get back from Edonia, I want you to introduce him to me".

Sherry can only bring herself to smile shyly…

Claire was unknowingly encouraging Sherry to confess her feeling to her older brother…

Sometimes, life is ironic like that…

* * *

**I bet you did not see that coming!**


	8. Reality

**Reality**

She finds herself being pushed against the wall…

Hungry lips claim her own in a brief but passionate kiss before pulling back. She waits, trying her best to recover her breath, baby blue eyes focused on the man standing before her…

He moves in once again, claiming her lips in a hungry kiss, Sherry responds by deepening the kiss, moaning in delight against his lips…

She wanted this…

She wanted him…

Carefully, slowly, her gloved hands start moving over the green tactical vest covering his chest. He responds by taking hold of her hips, feeling her shudder under his touch.

They part, taking deep breaths, trying to recover the lost air…

Sherry smiles happily, enjoying the wonderful warmth of his hands on her hips…

They are so close…

She's beginning to regret the fact that she's wearing a heavy jacket and gloves…

But then again, he is also wearing full winter BSAA uniform, green tactical vest and gloves…

Sherry sighs a little disappointed…

She wants to feel him…

His hands on her skin…

Her own hands on his skin…

"Chris…" her voice is soft, barely above a whisper, but before anything else can be said a surprised gasp escapes her…

Her captain is kissing her again, but this time his lips are on her neck, tasting the tender flesh. Her hands find the back of his head, holding him in place, a moan escapes her yet again, the feeling of his hot lips and tongue is almost unbearable…

Almost…

He growls against her neck, pushing his body closer…

Sherry groans quietly, intoxicated by his scent, overwhelmed by the warmth of his body washing over her…

Why was he so warm?

It felt so good…

She moves, snuggling against his big warm body, enjoying the feeling of safety, and of course, his lips on her skin.

And then something attracts her attention…

The scenery around them is somehow familiar…

Tall ruined buildings, high platforms and empty streets…

The realization hits her like a hammer…

"T-This is Edonia?" she asks, her eyes moving to the surrounding area, a moment later her suspicions are confirmed. This was the same place where the fought against the giant B.O.W.s

To her right were the stairs leading to the first AA gun…

This was the place where she and Chris meet for the first time…

Her captain steps back, smiling…

She finds herself missing his warmth, the closeness between them, his lips…

"Well, looks like its time to go" he says, the smile still on his lips…

Sherry nods, carefully placing a soft kiss on his cheek, smiling at the feel of his unshaven facial hair…

"I love you…"

Her words are barely a whisper…

But it doesn't matter…

Her eyes open…

She's in bed, in her room…

Alone...

Soft rays of sunlight shine beautifully through the window on the far wall…

And there, lying on her bed, staring blankly at her ceiling…

Sherry Birkin can only bring herself to smile…

Pale fingers come up to touch her lips, trying to feel the warmth of her captain's lips on them…

"It felt so real…"

She sighs happily…

* * *

**What can I say? Sherry is such a fan girl…**

**Jokes aside, the game showed me that Sherry, despite being 26 years old, still retains the innocence of a girl, no doubt because of the fact that she was "protected" by the government for a long time.**

**She's kind, warm hearted and compassionate (much like Claire), but she also has incredible inner strength…**

**I simply love her character in RE6…**


	9. Innocent Emotion

**Innocent emotion**

Once a week, when he is not deployed on a mission or busy with the BSAA stuff…

He finds himself here…

Standing in front of this wall…

His gaze focused only on one thing…

One name…

The memories always came rushing back…

Playing over and over again on his mind, a cold reminder of his failure…

But…

He is not alone this day…

He's quite aware that she's standing behind him...

Waiting silently for him to acknowledge her presence…

"It was my decision, you know?..." he says, aware that she is surely listening "I choose to become a captain in the S.O.U, so I could train the future generation to protect the world when I retired…"

A moment on silence, broken by the sound of a bitter laugh…

"He was perfect for the job, a good soldier, a strong leader and a great sniper…" a hand lands on his shoulder, and for a moment he allows himself to enjoy the warm touch "He was supposed to be the future of the BSAA…"

And then he feels it…

She moves to rest her forehead against his back, her petite body moving closer to him…

"Now that I think about it, I really didn't have plans for after my retirement" another pain filled laugh escapes him "Its not like I had a wife or kids waiting for me, but after I killed Wesker…I don't know, I was just tired of fighting"

"There's nothing wrong with that…" the sweet, soft voice of the woman behind him breaks the cold silence "You are only human…" he feels it, there's sadness in those words, and perhaps something more…

Still, the guilt was too much…

His failure was all too real...

"It was all my fault!"

"There was nothing you could do!"

"It wasn't supposed to be like this!"

"He made his choice!"

"He was to be the new hope of the BSAA, the future!"

"You can't keep blaming yourself for that!"

"It should have been me!"

And then she moves, quickly stepping between him and the wall…

Their eyes meet…

He finds himself overwhelmed by the emotions hidden deep within those blue orbs…

A pair of warm hands take hold of his face, and a soft voice, barely above a whisper reaches him "You don't have to do this anymore, you are only human and no one can carry the weight of the whole world forever…"

Chris stands there, frozen, lost in those beautiful blue eyes, all too aware of the closeness of their bodies. She smiles, that kind of warm, heartfelt smile that she always gave him "All that pain, that sorrow and guilt…" slowly, carefully she pulls his face closer, he's too tall, she can barely reach his shoulders "I will take them from you…"

Time stops…

And, somehow, everything else disappears…

Wet, soft and warm lips cover his own in a gentle but passionate kiss…

Her small body fully pressed against him, their hearts beating fast…

Nothing, absolutely nothing could compare to the sweet taste of her lips…

And then she stops, breaking the kiss and moving her mouth closer to his ear, panting, slightly out of breath…

"You don't have to fight forever" she says "When the day comes, and you are tired of fighting, I will be with you" she sighs contently "You don't have to say anything, not now…"

She takes his lips in another short, but sweet kiss before letting go of him, taking a step back while smiling lovingly at him…

"You are mine…"

And with those words she leaves...

And once again Chris finds himself alone, lost in his thoughts, trying and failing to find his voice…

One thing was certain though; he had a lot to think about…

xxxxxx

Once the door of her room is safely shut, reality comes crashing down for Sherry…

Still…she's a little surprised to find that she's not scared, on the contrary, the feeling of happiness on her chest is almost overwhelming.

Leaning back against her door, Sherry can only bring herself to smile…

It had been real…

So very real…

The taste of him…

The feeling of his lips against her own…

How lucky she was, to have her first kiss with the person she was deeply in love…

There was no turning back…

Not after this…

And for her, that was just fine…

* * *

**In the end, Sherry is no longer a little girl, she may retain some of her innocence, but she's kind, warm and mature woman.**

**That kind of gal, will definitely be a hell of a wife…**

**The kind of wife Chris needs… **


	10. Just a little Longer

**Just a little longer**

And once again the distance between them amounts to nothing…

It takes all of her willpower to push back the blush threatening to spread across her cheeks. Then again, it is because of her '_you are mine kiss_' that things are strange between them…

Well, it is strange for her, every time she's near him the memory of the kiss comes rushing back, the warmth of his lips…the taste of him…

Even now, her eyes linger on his lips…

However, it is neither the time nor the place for such things…

Not when they are both surrounded by the whole team inside a Chinook helicopter…

Still, she is afraid…

She is afraid of being rejected, that he doesn't feel the same way about her, maybe there was someone else. She knew of Jill Valentine of course, the long time partner of her captain, they were working together in Raccoon City back when she was still a little girl.

They were close friends, comrades in arms…and according to the BSAA records, a hell of a team.

But, after the Kijuju incident something changed between them and as the result they both went on their separate ways…

"I know we need to talk" the voice of her captain reaches her, barely above a whisper "But we have a job to do…" his face betrayed no emotion; he was, as always, 100% focused on the mission.

Sherry nods slowly, smiling cheerfully "I know, the world needs us…" she says softly, keeping her voice low and once again a blush threatens to spread across her cheeks "This…us…I can wait" and the battle is lost, her cheeks take a pretty pink color. She is for once grateful that her captain is not looking at her…

But, lady luck is not with her in that moment, Chris turns to face her taking in her beautiful blushing face "Just to let you know, it's been a long time since a woman has been so…forward with her advances" and the playful smirk on his lips its all she needs to blush a even deeper shade of red.

"S-Sorry…?"

And before she has the chance of saying another word his gloved hand reaches her cheek, and suddenly she feels very warm and is very aware of the warmth of his hand through his glove, to any onlooker it would look like he was trying to correctly place her earpiece/flashlight…

But the truth was much more personal…

There was no hesitation in his touch, his thumb moving slowly, almost lovingly on her skin…

It was an intimate touch, like a lover's…

And for a moment she allows herself to enjoy it, every second of it...

"I promise…" he says softly "Once this mission is over we will talk about this…"

Sherry nods closing her eyes, a happy sigh escaping her…

She really wanted this…

This feeling…

It was wonderful…

More than just simple attraction, the feel of true love…

"Ok…" she whispers "I'll wait just a little longer…"

* * *

**That's it, this is the end of "Fighter and Leader", however I will continue the story in another fic, but first I will be writing about Claire…after all, don't you wanna know how she's doing in edonia?**

**Thanks to all those who took the time to read and review my fic, reviews are what keep the writers going.**

**Thanks again and see you soon…**


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